Cooking appliance comprising a specifically arranged cooking chamber insert having specific heating functions

ABSTRACT

A cooking appliance includes a housing having a cooking compartment including a cooking compartment divider slide-in level, and a plate-shaped cooking compartment divider designed for positioning in the cooking compartment on the cooking compartment divider slide-in level to divide the cooking compartment into an upper cooking compartment region and a lower cooking compartment region. A hot-air system supplies hot air into the cooking compartment. A wall delimits the cooking compartment and includes ventilation openings, through which the hot air of the hot-air system is supplied into the cooking compartment. The ventilation openings, viewed in a height direction of the cooking appliance, are arranged only above the cooking-chamber divider slide-in level.

One aspect of the invention relates to a cooking appliance having acooking compartment divider.

A baking oven is known from DE 102 010 030 471 A1. The baking oven has aseparate cooking compartment divider element, which is provided with atleast one large-area heating element. The cooking compartment dividerelement represents an assembly unit that can be inserted in the cookingcompartment of the baking oven at a specific slide-in level. This allowsthe cooking compartment to be selectively subdivided into individuallyheatable, adjacent cooking compartment regions. However, this assemblyunit has only one integrated heating element. The usability is thuslimited. Furthermore, a heatable slide-in cooking compartment dividerand a cooking appliance are known from EP 2 431 667 A1. An upper side ofthe slide-in cooking compartment divider is designed as a receptacle forfood to be cooked and is shaped in the form of a trough in this respect.A surface heater is integrated in the plate-shaped slide-in cookingcompartment divider. In addition, a temperature sensor can also beprovided. This heatable slide-in cooking compartment divider is alsolimited in terms of its usability.

An electric baking and roasting oven is known from DE 42 17 545 A1. Theoven has a plate, which can be inserted into the cooking compartment andhas a heating element that emits heat downward. The plate has insulationwith a recess which is formed on the underside and in which the heatingelement is arranged.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooking appliancein which the use of cooking compartment sub-regions of a cookingcompartment is improved.

This object is achieved by a cooking appliance in accordance with theindependent claims.

One aspect of the invention relates to a cooking appliance having ahousing. A cooking compartment of the cooking appliance is formed in thehousing. Furthermore, the cooking appliance has a plate-shaped cookingcompartment divider. The plate-shaped cooking compartment divider is initself a separate component of the cooking appliance. It is formedseparately from the housing. The cooking compartment divider has aplate-shaped base unit. The cooking compartment divider also has atleast one heating element. The heating element is arranged on this baseunit. In particular, it is arranged in a fixed manner thereon. Thecooking compartment divider having the base unit and the at least oneheating element is a portable component. It is removable from thecooking compartment in a non-destructive manner and can be reinserted.The cooking compartment also has at least one slide-in level. This is acooking compartment divider slide-in level on which the cookingcompartment divider can be positioned in the cooking compartment asintended. The cooking compartment divider and its positioning on thisdefined predetermined cooking compartment divider slide-in level enablethe cooking compartment to be divided into an upper cooking compartmentregion and a lower cooking compartment region, viewed in the heightdirection of the cooking appliance. The cooking compartment divider thusseparates the cooking compartment into two separate cooking compartmentregions. These are completely separated from one another by the cookingcompartment divider, in particular in terms of volume. The base unit ofthe cooking compartment divider forms in particular a coherent anduninterrupted unit. In this respect, the cooking compartment dividerthen forms a base wall for the upper cooking compartment region andsimultaneously forms a ceiling wall for the lower cooking compartmentregion. The cooking appliance also has a hot air system. This can beused to supply hot air into the cooking compartment as intended. A wallof the cooking appliance that delimits the cooking compartment hasventilation openings through which the hot air of the hot air system canbe supplied directly into the cooking compartment. All ventilationopenings that are provided in the wall as intended so as to supply thehot air of the hot air system into the cooking compartment are arrangedonly above the cooking compartment divider slide-in level, viewed in theheight direction of the cooking appliance.

Such a cooking appliance having a specifically positioned cookingcompartment divider, in particular with respect to the ventilationopenings of the hot air system, renders it possible to improve theoperation of the cooking appliance. It is thus possible, in particular,that, when the cooking compartment divider is in the inserted state, thehot air system can be used as desired and defined only for the uppercooking compartment region. This can improve preparation results in theupper cooking compartment region, in particular in hot air mode. Inparticular, such a separation also ensures that the individual cookingcompartment regions are not mutually affected by an overlapping hot airsystem. Particularly advantageously, such a separation with the cookingcompartment divider and the specific positioning of the ventilationopenings with respect thereto also ensures that, for example, a hot airoperation in the upper cooking compartment region is possibleindependently of operation with another type of heating in the lowercooking compartment region. Furthermore, it is also possible in a veryadvantageous manner for the hot air system to be operated in the uppercooking compartment region while the lower cooking compartment region isnot used at all or is not to be heated undesirably.

In addition, the fact that these ventilation openings are arranged inthe height direction in the upper cooking compartment region alsoimproves accessibility for the particular cooking compartment region inwhich a hot air operation is also possible when the cooking compartmentdivider is in the inserted state. The design of the cooking appliancecan thus also enable more individual and more needs-based use, inparticular of different heating modes, in the individual cookingcompartment regions. This increases the variety and variability for thepreparation of food to be cooked, in particular also the simultaneouspreparation of different foods to be cooked in the two cookingcompartment regions, when the cooking compartment divider is in theinserted state.

In particular, the cooking appliance has only one hot air system. Inparticular, this also means that when the cooking compartment divider isinserted, fundamentally the lower cooking compartment sub-region cannotbe operated with its own, different hot air system or that a hot airsystem is not available in the cooking appliance for the lower cookingcompartment region.

In one exemplary embodiment, when the cooking compartment divider isinserted in the cooking compartment slide-in level, the hot air systemis only effective in the upper cooking compartment region when said hotair system is activated. The advantages mentioned in this regard havealready been explained above.

In one exemplary embodiment, a heating element of the cookingcompartment divider is a top-heat heating element for the lower cookingcompartment region when the cooking compartment divider is arranged inthe cooking compartment divider slide-in level. A high level offunctionality of this cooking compartment divider is thus achieved. Thelower cooking compartment region in particular can then be heated fromabove in a very specific manner. In one exemplary embodiment, thisheating element, which is provided as a top-heat heating element, can bearranged on the cooking compartment divider in a manner exposed towardthe bottom. A particularly effective heat input into the lower cookingcompartment region is then possible.

In one exemplary embodiment, a heating element of the cookingcompartment divider is a bottom-heat heating element for the uppercooking compartment region when the cooking compartment divider isarranged in the cooking compartment divider slide-in level. Thisincreases the multifunctionality of the cooking compartment divider.Thus, in addition to the hot air system in the upper cooking compartmentregion, a bottom-heat heating element can also be provided. This is atemporarily positionable and reversibly removable heating element sinceit is arranged directly on the cooking compartment divider. If thecooking compartment divider is removed, this bottom-heat heating elementis also removed from the cooking compartment. Thus, this exemplaryembodiment renders it possible to fit heating elements that can bereversibly inserted and removed as required. This provides aparticularly wide range of configuration possibilities of the individualcooking compartment regions with regard to the respective heatingpossibility.

In one exemplary embodiment, it is also possible for the cookingcompartment divider to have only the top-heat heating element. This isthus arranged on an underside of the cooking compartment divider, inparticular the base unit. In another exemplary embodiment, a cookingcompartment divider can have only the bottom-heat heating element. Sucha bottom-heat heating element can be arranged on the upper side of thebase unit in such a manner that said heating element is exposed towardthe top. It is also possible for such a bottom-heat heating element ofthe cooking compartment divider to be arranged so as to be coveredtoward the top, in particular in the base unit. It is then also possiblefor further components to be applied directly to the upper side of thebase unit, if necessary.

In another exemplary embodiment of the cooking compartment divider, botha top-heat heating element and a bottom-heat heating element can beprovided.

In one exemplary embodiment, the upper cooking compartment region isformed with a different height to the height of the lower cookingcompartment region. As a result, the cooking compartment is divideddefined and desired asymmetrically, viewed in the height direction, bythe position of the cooking compartment divider in the cookingcompartment divider slide-in level. Thus, especially with regard to thehot air system, which is to be effective in the upper cookingcompartment region and in particular is to have an effect there onlywhen the cooking compartment divider is inserted, it can be madepossible to use the cooking appliance in a manner greatly suited torequirements. This is particularly advantageous if the upper cookingcompartment region is higher than the lower cooking compartment region.Accessibility on the one hand and loading with higher components and/orgoods to be stored on the other hand are thus improved in this uppercooking compartment region.

In one exemplary embodiment, the height of the upper cooking compartmentregion is greater than the height of the lower cooking compartmentregion by at least 10 percent, in particular between 10 percent and 30percent. Advantageously, this then also makes it possible to have such aheight of the upper cooking compartment region which the entire hot airsystem of the cooking appliance can use. On the other hand, this hot airsystem can then also be used to heat the entire cooking compartment whenthe cooking compartment divider is in the removed state. Consequently,the one and the same hot air system of the cooking appliance can befully utilized both with the inserted cooking compartment divider andwithout the inserted cooking compartment divider.

In one exemplary embodiment, the upper cooking compartment region has atleast one slide-in level, in particular a slide-in level for a carrierfor food to be cooked, and said slide-in level is intended for a carrierfor food to be cooked which is different from the cooking compartmentdivider. This allows a cooking compartment divider to be positioned inthe upper cooking compartment region at a distance from an upper side ofthe cooking compartment divider. This is particularly advantageous inthat no undesirable mutual interference occurs between the cookingcompartment divider on the one hand and the carrier for food to becooked on the other hand. Furthermore, such a distance also makes iteasier to handle these individual components, particularly if they arearranged in the cooking compartment at the same time. Removal andinsertion can then be easily performed in each case independently of theother component. Partial removal of one of the two components can thenalso be carried out very easily completely independently of the othercomponent. Furthermore, such a distance is also particularlyadvantageous for the transfer of heat to the carrier for food to becooked and, in particular, then also to the food to be cooked that isplaced on the carrier for food to be cooked. This improves preparationresults.

It is particularly advantageous if a distance, viewed in the heightdirection, between the upper side of the cooking compartment divider inthe state inserted into the cooking compartment divider slide-in leveland an upper side of the carrier for food to be cooked in the stateinserted into the slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked, isbetween 10 mm and 30 mm. Preferably, this distance is between 19 mm and24 mm. The above-mentioned advantages are achieved to a particulardegree in particular by these specific distance values. Last but notleast, this also makes the effect of the hot air system on the food tobe cooked that is placed on the carrier for the food to be cookedparticularly advantageous. The reason for this is in particular that itis provided that particularly with this positioning, but not only there,at least half of the ventilation openings of the hot air system that arearranged in the wall, viewed in the height direction, in particular atleast 70 percent of the ventilation openings that are arranged in thewall, viewed in the height direction, which is associated with the hotair system are arranged above the upper side of the carrier for food tobe cooked. This allows the hot air of the hot air system, which isintroduced directly into the upper cooking compartment region throughthe ventilation openings, to flow from above in a particularly extensivemanner onto the carrier for food to be cooked. A particularlyadvantageous preparation result is thus made possible. If the uppercooking compartment region has only one slide-in level for a carrier forfood to be cooked, this value applies to it. If the upper cookingcompartment region has multiple slide-in levels for a carrier for foodto be cooked, this specified value applies in particular to the slide-inlevel for a carrier for food to be cooked that is closest to the cookingcompartment divider, viewed in the height direction.

In one exemplary embodiment, the upper cooking compartment region has aheating element that is arranged in a fixed manner. This is a top-heatheating element and/or a grill heating element. This then also makes itpossible to set the top heat function and/or the grill function in theupper cooking compartment region. In particular, this top-heat heatingelement and/or grill heating element is arranged in a fixed manner on aceiling wall that delimits the volume space of the cooking compartment.Such a wall can be, for example, a ceiling wall of a muffle of thecooking appliance.

A muffle directly delimits the cooking compartment with its side walls,its base wall and its ceiling wall. In one exemplary embodiment, avolume space is formed between a rear wall of the muffle and theparticular wall that delimits the rear of the cooking compartment. Thisvolume space is also referred to as a hot air box. A fan and a heatingelement which are components of the hot air system can also be arrangedin this volume space. The particular wall in which the ventilationopenings of the hot air system are formed can also be referred to as animpact wall. It is arranged in front of the rear wall of the muffle andat a distance from the rear wall of the muffle, viewed in the depthdirection of the cooking appliance.

This configuration with the fixed top-heat heating element and/or grillheating element that is arranged in a fixed manner in the upper cookingcompartment region can expand the variability of the upper cookingcompartment region. A wide variety of heating modes are then possible inthe upper cooking region alone when the cooking compartment divider isin the inserted state. The upper cooking compartment region can thus beused for a wide range of heating options. This can also be doneindependently of the lower cooking compartment region.

In one exemplary embodiment, a distance, viewed in the height direction,between the upper side of the carrier for food to be cooked in the stateinserted into the slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked andan underside of the top-heat heating element and/or grill heatingelement and/or an underside of an upper top boundary wall of a loadingopening of the cooking compartment in the upper cooking compartmentregion is between 160 mm and 210 mm. In particular, this distance isbetween 166 mm and 189 mm. Also in this exemplary embodiment, thespecific distance values contribute positively to the advantages thatare already mentioned above. Also as a result, handling andaccessibility to the components in the upper cooking compartment region,in particular in the cooking compartment divider and the food to becooked that is arranged thereon, is made possible easily and withouthindrance. In addition, the heat effect of the hot air system on the onehand and/or of the top-heat heating element and/or grill heating elementin the upper cooking compartment region on the other hand is enabled ina particularly advantageous manner. Last but not least, this distancecan also enable the insertion of larger components for receiving food tobe cooked. For example, these can be taller baking tins for cakes or thelike. For example, it is then also possible to accommodate a Bundtbaking tin without any problems. Other correspondingly high items forreceiving food to be cooked can then also be easily and simplyaccommodated. For example, also roasting tins.

In one exemplary embodiment, the lower cooking compartment region has aheating element that is arranged in a fixed manner. This heating elementcan be a bottom-heat heating element for the lower cooking compartmentregion. This is then also arranged externally to the cooking compartmentdivider and also remains in the cooking compartment if the cookingcompartment divider is removed. This bottom-heat heating element canalso be used as such if the cooking compartment divider is removed. Thenthis bottom-heat heating element works for the entire cookingcompartment from below. The same also applies to the advantageousexemplary embodiment that is mentioned above, in which a fixedlyarranged top-heat heating element and/or grill heating element isarranged in the upper cooking compartment region at the top.

In one exemplary embodiment, when the cooking compartment divider is inthe state inserted into the cooking compartment, the upper cookingcompartment region has a height that is between 18 cm and 23 cm, inparticular between 19 cm and 20 cm, especially 19.5 cm. In particular,the height can also be between 20 cm and 23 cm, in particular between 21cm and 22 cm. In particular, this height is dimensioned between theupper side of the cooking compartment divider and the top-heat heatingelement and/or the lower edge of the upper boundary flange that delimitsthe loading opening.

In one exemplary embodiment, when the cooking compartment divider is inthe state inserted into the cooking compartment, the lower cookingcompartment region has a height that is between 12 cm and 15 cm, inparticular between 12 cm and 14 cm, in particular 13 cm. In particular,this height is dimensioned between the underside of the cookingcompartment divider and the base wall of the muffle and/or an upper edgeof a lower boundary flange that delimits the loading opening.

In one exemplary embodiment, these height dimensions of the cookingcompartment regions are also other independent aspects of the cookingappliance and are thus possible even if the positions of the ventilationopenings above the cooking compartment divider are not specified in anexemplary embodiment.

In one exemplary embodiment, the cooking compartment has at least twoslide-in levels for a carrier for food to be cooked, said levels beingarranged at different heights. When the cooking compartment divider isin the state removed from the cooking compartment, the hot air systemcan supply hot air simultaneously to both slide-in levels for a carrierfor food to be cooked. This means that the cooking appliance can beoperated as a conventional cooking appliance when the cookingcompartment divider is in the removed state. In this operating state,hot air from the hot air system can then also be supplied to multipledifferent slide-in levels for a carrier for food to be cooked and,accordingly, food to be cooked can be prepared simultaneously on thedifferent slide-in levels for a carrier for food to be cooked.

A carrier for food to be cooked can be, for example, a baking tray or agrid or a drip tray or the like. In the context, a carrier for food tobe cooked is not a cooking compartment divider. A carrier for food to becooked does not have its own heating element.

In one exemplary embodiment, the cooking compartment is divided by theinserted cooking compartment divider in such a way that differentheating modes can be performed simultaneously in the two cookingcompartment regions. In particular, this is made possible in such a waythat the heating modes do not or essentially do not have any effect onone another in the cooking compartment regions when they are performedsimultaneously in the respective cooking compartment regions. Inparticular, the cooking compartment divider advantageously separates thetwo cooking compartment regions in this respect.

In one exemplary embodiment, a heating element of the cookingcompartment divider, in particular the heating element, if only one isprovided, has electrical connection contacts. These are in particularcantilevered from an edge region of the cooking compartment divider inthe horizontal direction. In particular, these electrical connectioncontacts are arranged in such a way that they automatically make contactwith electrical mating connection contacts of the cooking appliance whenthe cooking compartment divider is moved into the inserted end positionin the cooking compartment and thus in the inserted end position in thecooking compartment divider slide-in level. These mating connectioncontacts are arranged in particular in a fixed manner in the rear regionof the cooking appliance.

This allows the cooking compartment divider, in particular the heatingelement of the cooking compartment divider, to be supplied withelectrical energy.

In one exemplary embodiment, the cooking compartment divider has supportfeet. In one exemplary embodiment, these extend further down in theheight direction than the at least one heating element of the cookingcompartment divider. As a result, the cooking compartment divider canalso be easily placed on a surface, for example a worktop of a kitchenunit. This can then also be done in such a way that the heating elementis arranged without making contact with this surface. By avoiding directcontact of the heating element with this worktop, it is thus possible toavoid damage to the heating element on the one hand and to the worktopon the other hand.

Furthermore, these support feet also enable the cooking compartmentdivider to be placed on a surface in a stable manner.

A further independent aspect of the invention relates to a cookingappliance having a housing in which a cooking compartment is formed. Thecooking appliance further has a plate-shaped cooking compartmentdivider. The cooking compartment divider is in itself a separatecomponent of the cooking appliance. It is separate from the housing. Thecooking compartment divider has a base unit, which is in particularplate-shaped. Furthermore, the cooking compartment divider has at leastone heating element. This is arranged in particular on the base unit. Itis arranged there in a fixed manner. The cooking compartment has atleast one slide-in level on which the cooking compartment divider can bepositioned in the cooking compartment, so that the cooking compartmentis divided into an upper cooking compartment region and, viewed in theheight direction of the cooking appliance, into a lower cookingcompartment region that is located below it. The positioning of thecooking compartment divider in the cooking compartment is such that theupper cooking compartment region is higher than the lower cookingcompartment region, viewed in the height direction. In this aspect, itis essential that the upper cooking compartment region has at least oneslide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked, said carrier forfood to be cooked being different from the cooking space divider, sothat a carrier for food to be cooked of the cooking appliance can bepositioned in the upper cooking compartment region at a distance from anupper side of the cooking compartment divider, wherein a distance,viewed in the height direction, between the upper side of the cookingcompartment divider in the state inserted into the cooking compartmentdivider slide-in level and an upper side of the carrier for food to becooked in the state inserted into the slide-in level for a carrier forfood to be cooked is between 10 mm and 30 mm, in particular between 19mm and 24 mm. Additionally or in lieu thereof, in this aspect of thecooking appliance, it is provided that the upper cooking compartmentregion has a heating element that is arranged in a fixed manner as atop-heat heating element and/or grill heating element, wherein adistance, viewed in the height direction, between the upper side of thecarrier for food to be cooked in the state inserted into the slide-inlevel for a carrier for food to be cooked and an underside of thetop-heat heating element and/or grill heating element in the uppercooking compartment region and/or an underside of an upper boundary wallof a loading opening of the cooking compartment is between 160 mm and210 mm, in particular between 166 mm and 189 mm. This makes itparticularly easy to load and handle components in the respectivecooking compartment regions when the cooking compartment divider isarranged in the cooking compartment. In particular, these respectiveindividual distances of a carrier for food to be cooked from othercomponents in the upper cooking compartment region are also particularlyadvantageous in that larger receptacles for a carrier for food to becooked can be inserted in the upper cooking compartment region withoutimpacting against other components, in particular heating elements. Inaddition, a very advantageous heating with the different heating modes,in particular hot air and/or top heat and/or grill and/or bottom heat,is possible in a cooking compartment region that is upper in thisrespect. Even in such an upper cooking compartment region, which is thussmaller in comparison to the entire cooking compartment, it is possibledue to these very detailed distances in the height direction that theentire hot air system of the cooking appliance can also only be used forthis upper cooking compartment region and/or also the top-heat heatingelement and/or grill heating element can only be used for the uppercooking compartment region. Nevertheless, undesirable overheating orpoorer preparation results are avoided in the upper cooking compartmentregion.

Advantageous exemplary embodiments of the first independent aspect ofthe invention are to be regarded as advantageous exemplary embodimentsof the above-mentioned further independent aspect of the inventionrelating to the cooking appliance.

The heating element can have a tubular heating element and/or a radiantheating element and/or an induction heating element. Thus, a widevariety and diversity of energy sources can be provided as heatingelements for the cooking compartment insert or the cooking compartmentdivider. The energy that is generated by the heating element can thus bethermal energy in the context. However, it can also be electromagneticenergy, as is the case with induction heating. The heating element canbe connected to an electrical energy source for this energy generation,so that the generation of the energy of the heating element is startedby the electrical energy.

Such an electrical energy source can be part of the cooking compartmentinsert. However, this electrical energy source can also be arrangedexternally to the cooking compartment insert. In particular, the cookingcompartment divider then has electrical contacts or connection contacts.These can be contacted with electrical mating contacts so that theelectrical energy is transferred from the electrical energy source tothe heating element of the cooking compartment divider via this contactinterface. If the cooking compartment divider has its own electricalenergy source, this can be a battery or a re-chargeable battery, forexample.

If the cooking compartment divider does not have such an own electricalpower source, it can be connected to the mains power supply, forexample.

In one exemplary embodiment, the base unit has at least one materialarea on the side of the heating element opposite the receiving region,said material area being designed as a thermal insulation area. As aresult, the cooking compartment divider is designed so as to allowenergy to be transferred in a very directional manner via the energytransfer unit. Thus, a corresponding energy transfer is not provided inall directions of the cooking compartment divider. This thermalinsulation area also allows the cooking compartment divider to beinstalled in the cooking compartment in a more flexible and morevariable manner. On the one hand, in the context components in thecooking compartment that face the thermal insulation area and, inparticular, also neighboring or directly adjacent components can then beprotected from undesirable energy transfer. In particular, undesiredheating of these components is thus prevented. On the other hand, adirected energy transfer is carried out via the receiving region and theenergy transfer unit arranged therein.

In one exemplary embodiment, this thermal insulation area has aerogel asthe thermal insulating material. On the one hand, this is very light,and on the other hand it is particularly advantageous with regard to thethermal insulation effect. The thermal insulation area can also have avacuum unit.

In addition to the above-mentioned exemplary embodiment in which aerogelis provided as the material area for the thermal insulation area, avacuum unit can also be formed as the thermal insulation area in thebase unit. Likewise, however, a combination between an aerogel and avacuum unit can also be provided. In this way, a lightweight andparticularly well insulating embodiment is also realized. In particular,such a generally provided weight-minimized design of the cookingcompartment divider is advantageous if the cooking compartment divideris not arranged on the bottom of a wall that delimits the cookingcompartment, but is quasi suspended in this respect.

In particular, the cooking compartment divider, viewed in the widthdirection of the cooking appliance, essentially has a width thatcorresponds to the clear width between two vertical side walls thatdelimit the cooking compartment. This also makes it particularly easy tohold the cooking compartment divider on these opposing vertical sidewalls. In particular, viewed in the depth direction of the cookingappliance, the cooking compartment divider has a depth that essentiallycorresponds to the clear width between the wall and a front loadingopening of the cooking compartment.

In one exemplary embodiment, the invention also makes it possible toprovide the cooking compartment divider as a retrofit system for acooking appliance. This also makes it possible for a cooking applianceto be provided in an individual basic configuration. Depending onwhether a user then wants to expand the functionality, this at least onecooking compartment divider or even multiple cooking compartmentdividers can be retrofitted as retrofit components. In particular, it isalso possible in the context that only the basic configuration isprovided for the cooking compartment divider. For the individualconfiguration of an arrangement, a user can then additionally retrofitone or more energy transfer units, as desired or required, so that theycan configure an arrangement with the cooking compartment divider and atleast one energy transfer unit individually for the user.

Thus, one aspect of the invention also relates to a retrofit system fora cooking appliance. The retrofit system has a cooking compartmentdivider according to the above-mentioned aspect or an advantageousembodiment thereof. The retrofit system can also have an arrangementaccording to the above-mentioned aspect or an advantageous exemplaryembodiment thereof.

The specifications “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “rear”, “horizontal”,“vertical”, “depth direction”, “width direction”, “height direction”,etc. indicate the positions and orientations of the cooking compartmentdivider or the appliance when used and arranged as intended.

Further features of the invention are apparent in the claims, thefigures and the description of the figures. The features andcombinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well asthe features and combinations of features mentioned below in thedescription of the figures and/or shown alone in the figures, can beused not only in the combination indicated in each case, but also inother combinations or as standalone, without leaving the scope of theinvention. Thus, embodiments are also to be regarded as included anddisclosed by the invention which are not explicitly shown and explainedin the figures, but which arise from the explained embodiments and canbe generated by separate combinations of features. Also embodiments andcombinations of features are to be regarded as disclosed which thus donot have all the features of an originally formulated independent claim.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detailbelow with reference to schematic drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of an exemplary embodiment of acooking appliance according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a cookingcompartment divider.

In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements areprovided with the same reference characters.

In FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of a cooking appliance 1 is shown ina front view. The cooking appliance 1 may be a baking oven or amicrowave cooking appliance or a steam cooking appliance. Two or more ofthese functionalities may also be present in one cooking appliance 1.The cooking appliance 1 has a housing 2. A cooking compartment 3 isformed in the housing 2. In one exemplary embodiment, the cookingcompartment 3 is delimited by walls 4, 5, 6 and 7 of a muffle 8.

Furthermore, the muffle 8 also has a rear wall 9. Viewed in the depthdirection of the cooking appliance 1, which is oriented perpendicular tothe plane of the figure, a further wall 10 is arranged in the cookingcompartment 3. The wall 10 is separate from the rear wall 9. The wall 10directly delimits the rear of the cooking compartment 3. The wall 10 canalso be referred to as a baffle wall. A free space 11 is formed betweenthis wall 10 and the rear wall 9. Thus, a hot air box is realized. Inthis respect, the cooking appliance 1 also has a hot air system 12. Thishas a fan, which is not shown, and a heating element, which are arrangedin this free space 11. With the hot air system 12, hot air can begenerated in activated operation and can be supplied from the free space11 through multiple ventilation openings 13 in the wall 10 directly intothe cooking compartment 3.

Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment, the cooking appliance 1 alsohas a heating element 14. This is here a top-heat heating element and/orgrill heating element of the cooking appliance 1. This heating element14 is arranged in the upper region of the cooking compartment 3. Inparticular, it is exposed toward the bottom and is arranged directlyadjacent to the ceiling wall 7. The heating element 14 is arranged in afixed manner in the cooking compartment 3. Therefore, it cannot beremoved from it in a non-destructive manner.

Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment, the cooking appliance 1 has afurther heating element 15. This is arranged, viewed in the heightdirection (y-direction), in the lower region of the housing 2, inparticular here directly below the base wall 6 in particular directlybelow the wall 6. This heating element 15 is a bottom-heat heatingelement of the cooking appliance 1 for the cooking compartment 3.

In the exemplary embodiment, the cooking appliance 1 has multipleseparate slide-in levels, viewed in the height direction. In thecontext, multiple slide-in levels 16, 17, 18, 19 a and 19 b for acarrier for food to be cooked are formed. The number of slide-in levels16 to 19 b for a carrier for food to be cooked is to be understood asmerely exemplary. These slide-in levels 16 to 19 b for a carrier forfood to be cooked, which are intended to allow a carrier for food to becooked of the cooking appliance 1 to be inserted at a specific heightposition and held therein, can be formed directly on the inner sides ofthe lateral walls 4 and 5. In another exemplary embodiment, as shown inFIG. 1 , a separate carrier unit 20 of the cooking appliance 1 can beprovided, said carrier unit being held on the wall 4. The carrier unit20 can be, for example, a support frame. This support frame can beconstructed from bars. Accordingly, on the opposite side, a furthersupport frame can be accordingly configured and positioned as a carrierunit 21. At least one carrier 22 for food to be cooked can then bearranged on these carrier units 20 and 21 in the aforementioned slide-inlevels 16 to 19 b for a carrier for food to be cooked. A carrier 22 forfood to be cooked can be, for example, a grid or a baking tray or a driptray or the like.

Furthermore, the cooking appliance 1 also has a portable cookingcompartment divider 23. The cooking compartment divider 23 is inparticular plate-shaped here. It is a separate and distinct componentfrom a carrier 22 for food to be cooked. In the width direction(x-direction) of the cooking appliance 1, in one exemplary embodiment,the cooking compartment divider 23 extends essentially over the entireclear width between the lateral vertical walls 4 and 5. In the depthdirection, this cooking compartment divider 23 extends essentially overthe entire depth between the wall 10 and, in particular, a frontboundary flange 24 of the muffle 8 and/or a loading opening of thecooking compartment 3. Furthermore, the plate-shaped cooking compartmentdivider 23 is designed to be uninterrupted in its surface dimensions. Itcan be positioned in the cooking compartment 3 in a definedpredetermined slide-in level, which represents a cooking compartmentdivider slide-in level 25. In particular, only one such cookingcompartment divider slide-in level 25 is formed. As a result, the entirecooking compartment 3 is divided into an upper cooking compartmentregion 3 a and a lower cooking compartment region 3 b that is separatedtherefrom. The cooking compartment divider 23 then forms a base wall ofthe upper cooking compartment region 3 a and simultaneously a ceilingwall of the lower cooking compartment region 3 b.

The cooking compartment divider 23 is shown in perspective in FIG. 2 inone exemplary embodiment. The cooking compartment divider 23 is square.It has a base unit 26. The base unit 26 is plate-shaped. Furthermore,the cooking compartment divider 23 has at least one heating element 27.This is arranged here directly on the base unit 26. It is arranged on anunderside 26 a of the base unit 26. In the exemplary embodiment, theheating element 27 is arranged so as to be exposed toward the bottom. Inthis respect, the heating element 27 is fixedly connected and thusmotion-coupled to the base unit 26. In one exemplary embodiment, thisheating element 27 has end-side electrical connection contacts 28 and29. These are arranged in a cantilevered manner toward the side. Theyare oriented horizontally. As the cooking compartment divider 23 isinserted into the cooking compartment 3, these electrical connectioncontacts 28 and 29 are automatically arranged in a fixed manner with therear region of the housing 2 and are contacted with electrical matingconnection contacts of the cooking appliance 1. As a result, electricalenergy can be supplied to the cooking compartment divider 23, inparticular the heating element 27, when the cooking compartment divider23 is arranged in the inserted end position in the cooking compartment 3on its cooking compartment divider slide-in level 25.

In one exemplary embodiment, the base unit 26 can be thermallyinsulating. As a result, the upper cooking compartment region 3 a isthermally insulated from the lower cooking compartment region 3 b. Inparticular, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the heatingelement 27 serves as a top-heat heating element for the lower cookingcompartment region 3 b. As is apparent, the cooking compartment divider23 and thus also the cooking compartment divider slide-in level 25 arespaced from the lower wall 6 as well as from the upper wall 7. As aresult, each of the two cooking compartment regions 3 a and 3 b has aspecific height so that it is dimensioned in each case alone andindependently of the other cooking compartment region 3 a and 3 b aswell as simultaneously in each case for loading with components and/orfood to be cooked. Therefore, simultaneous use of the cookingcompartment regions 3 a and 3 b for the preparation of food to be cookedcan also be provided.

Furthermore, as can also be seen in FIG. 2 , the cooking compartmentdivider 23 has support feet 30 and 31 in one exemplary embodiment.Further support feet can also be provided in the rear region, inparticular in rear corner regions, of the base unit 26. Viewed in theheight direction of the cooking compartment divider 23, these supportfeet 30 and 31 extend further downward than the heating element 27. Inparticular, structures can also be provided in the rear region whichallow the heating element 27 to end further upward with respect to theheight position than this structure 32. These structures 32 can besupport feet. However, it can also be a continuous wall web viewed inthe width direction. The support feet 30 and 31 and the structure 32allow the cooking compartment divider 23 to be placed on a surface, forexample a worktop, in a stable manner and in particular also withouttilting. In particular, this can then be done in such a way that theheating element 27 can be set up without making contact with this topsurface.

As is apparent in FIG. 1 , in one exemplary embodiment the upper cookingcompartment region 3 a is higher than the lower cooking compartmentregion 3 b, viewed in the height direction. This results in aquasi-asymmetrical division of the cooking compartment 3 by the definedpredetermined cooking compartment divider slide-in level 25. Inparticular, the cooking appliance 1 has only one such fixedlypredetermined cooking compartment divider slide-in level 25.

Furthermore, as is apparent, the ventilation openings 13 in the wall 10are all arranged above the cooking compartment divider 23. This alsomeans that when the cooking compartment divider 23 is arranged with itsinserted end position in the cooking compartment 3, hot air from theactivated hot air system 12 can only flow into the upper cookingcompartment region 3 a through the ventilation openings 13. The hot airsystem 12 is then provided only for the upper cooking compartment region3 a.

In one exemplary embodiment, it is provided that a distance d1 measuredin the height direction, as shown in FIG. 1 , is between 10 mm and 30mm, in particular between 19 mm and 24 mm. This distance d1 is measuredin the height direction between an upper side 3 a of the cookingcompartment divider 23 when it is arranged in its end position in thecooking compartment divider slide-in level 25 and in particular an upperside 22 a of the carrier 22 for food to be cooked when this carrier 22for food to be cooked is arranged in the inserted end state. Inparticular, this relates to the slide-in level for a carrier for food tobe cooked when only one such slide-in level for a carrier for food to becooked is provided in the upper cooking compartment portion 3 a. In oneexemplary embodiment, if multiple slide-in levels 16, 17 and 18 for acarrier for food to be cooked are present in the upper cookingcompartment region 3 a, this distance d1 is thus to be understood forthe particular slide-in level 18 for a carrier for food to be cookedwhich is closest in the height direction to the upper side 23 a of thecooking compartment divider 23. In particular, therefore, if the carrier22 for food to be cooked is inserted into the lowest slide-in level 18for a carrier for food to be cooked when the upper cooking compartmentregion 3 a has multiple slide-in levels 16 to 18 for a carrier for foodto be cooked, this distance d1 applies between the upper sides 22 a and23 a.

In one exemplary embodiment, it is further provided that a distance d2that is measured in the height direction is between 160 mm and 210 mm,in particular between 166 mm and 189 mm. This is in particular thedistance between the upper side 22 a of the carrier 22 for food to becooked and the heating element 14 and/or a lower marginal edge 24 a of aboundary wall which delimits the loading opening of the cookingcompartment 3 toward the top. This boundary wall can be an upper frontflange area, in particular a component of the muffle. In particular, inexemplary embodiments in which multiple slide-in levels 16 to 18 for acarrier for food to be cooked are possible in the upper cookingcompartment region 3 a, this relates to the particular situation inwhich the carrier 22 for food to be cooked is arranged in the uppercooking compartment region 3 a in the height direction in the lowestslide-in level 18 for a carrier for food to be cooked.

As can also be seen in an exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 ,with such a positioning of the carrier 22 for food to be cooked, inparticular with the distances d1 and/or d2, at least half of theventilation openings 13, viewed in the height direction of the cookingappliance 1, are above the carrier 22 for food to be cooked, inparticular at least 70 percent of these ventilation openings 13 areabove the carrier 22 for food to be cooked, in particular above theupper side 22 a. Furthermore, as can also be seen, no ventilationopening 13 is arranged below the cooking compartment divider 23, viewedin the height direction, when the latter is positioned on the cookingcompartment divider slide-in level 25. In the lower cooking compartmentregion 3 b, therefore, this hot air system 12 does not have any effectwhen the cooking compartment divider 23 is inserted.

Once the cooking compartment divider 23 has been removed from thecooking compartment 3, the cooking appliance 1 with its various heatingmodes, in particular the hot air system 12 and/or the heating element 14and/or the heating element 15, can then be used for the entire cookingcompartment 3. In particular, carriers 22 for food to be cooked can thenbe positioned simultaneously on the various slide-in levels 16, 17, 18,19 a and 19 b for a carrier for food to be cooked simultaneously. Inparticular, the distance d2 is also the minimum distance between theupper side 22 a and the lower boundary edge 24 a of the circumferentialboundary flange 24, which delimits the loading opening of the cookingcompartment 3 at the front. This also makes it easy to insert and removereceptacles for food to be cooked, such as relatively tall baking tins,from the upper cooking compartment region 3 a or into the upper cookingcompartment region 3 a, in particular if the carrier 22 for food to becooked is arranged on the lowest slide-in level 18 for a carrier forfood to be cooked.

Due to the different heating elements of the cooking appliance 1, thecooking compartment regions 3 a and 3 b can also be used individually ordifferent heating modes can also be carried out simultaneously in theindividual cooking compartment regions 3 a and 3 b. For example, it isthus possible that, when the cooking compartment divider 23 is in theinserted state, the heating mode hot air and/or top heat and/or grill isactivated in the upper cooking compartment region 3 a. In addition to orin lieu of this, the heating element 27 of the cooking compartmentdivider 23 can be activated in the lower cooking compartment region 3 band thus a top-heat heating element can be activated. In addition or inlieu of this, the bottom-heat heating element 15 can be activated. Also,roasting tins, for example, as receptacles for food to be cooked can beplaced in the upper cooking compartment region 3 a in a simple anduser-friendly manner. This is particularly the case if, due to thedefined specifications with regard to the height of the cookingcompartment regions 3 a and 3 b and the position of the cookingcompartment divider 23 and/or in the upper cooking compartment region 3a a lowest positioning of a carrier 22 for food to be cooked, theoverall height of the cooking compartment 3 corresponds to a standardheight.

This height d3, in particular between the upper boundary edge 24 a andthe opposite lower boundary edge of the delimiting flange 24 can be, forexample, between 30 and 35, in particular between 31 cm and 33 cm. It isprecisely the aforementioned dimensioning and positioning that creates asituation in which the cooking compartment divider 23 can remain in thecooking compartment 3 for a wide variety of applications. Frequentremoval and reinsertion can therefore be avoided.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

-   -   1 Cooking appliance    -   2 Housing    -   3 Cooking compartment    -   3 a Upper cooking compartment region    -   3 b Lower cooking compartment region    -   4 Wall    -   5 Wall    -   6 Wall    -   7 Wall    -   8 Muffle    -   9 Rear wall    -   10 Wall    -   11 Free space    -   12 Hot air system    -   13 Ventilation opening    -   14 Heating element    -   15 Heating element    -   16 Slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked    -   17 Slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked    -   18 Slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked    -   18 a Slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked    -   19 Slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked    -   19 a Slide-in level for a carrier for food to be cooked    -   20 Carrier unit    -   21 Support frame    -   22 Carrier for food to be cooked    -   22 a Top    -   23 Cooking compartment divider    -   23 Upper side    -   24 Delimiting flange    -   24 a Lower boundary edge    -   25 Cooking compartment divider slide-in level    -   26 Base unit    -   26 a Underside    -   27 Heating element    -   28 Connection contact    -   29 Connection contact    -   30 Support foot    -   31 Support foot    -   32 Structure    -   d1 Distance    -   d2 Distance    -   x Width direction    -   y Height direction    -   z Depth direction

1-15. (canceled)
 16. A cooking appliance, comprising: a housing having acooking compartment including a cooking compartment divider slide-inlevel; a plate-shaped cooking compartment divider designed forpositioning in the cooking compartment on the cooking compartmentdivider slide-in level to divide the cooking compartment into an uppercooking compartment region and a lower cooking compartment region; ahot-air system designed to supply hot air into the cooking compartment;and a wall designed to delimit the cooking compartment and includingventilation openings, through which the hot air of the hot-air system issupplied into the cooking compartment, said ventilation openings, viewedin a height direction of the cooking appliance, being arranged onlyabove the cooking-chamber divider slide-in level.
 17. The cookingappliance of claim 16, wherein the hot air system is only effective inthe upper cooking compartment region when the cooking compartmentdivider is inserted in the cooking compartment divider slide-in leveland the hot air system is activated.
 18. The cooking appliance of claim16, wherein the cooking compartment divider includes a base unit and aheating element arranged on the base unit and embodied as a top-heatheating element for the lower cooking compartment region when thecooking compartment divider is arranged in the cooking compartmentdivider slide-in level.
 19. The cooking appliance of claim 16, whereinthe cooking compartment divider includes a heating element embodied as abottom-heat heating element and provided for the upper cookingcompartment region when the cooking compartment divider is arranged inthe cooking compartment divider slide-in level.
 20. The cookingappliance of claim 16, wherein the upper cooking compartment region isarranged at a height which is higher than a height of the lower cookingcompartment region.
 21. The cooking appliance of claim 20, wherein theheight of the upper cooking compartment region is at least 10% greaterthan the height of the lower cooking compartment region.
 22. The cookingappliance of claim 20, wherein the height of the upper cookingcompartment region is between 10% and 30% greater than the height of thelower cooking compartment region.
 23. The cooking appliance of claim 16,wherein the upper cooking compartment region has at least one slide-inlevel for a carrier for food to be cooked, which carrier is differentfrom the cooking compartment divider and positioned in the upper cookingcompartment region at a distance from an upper side of the cookingcompartment divider.
 24. The cooking appliance of claim 23, wherein adistance, viewed in the height direction, between the upper side of thecooking compartment divider, when inserted into the cooking compartmentdivider slide-in level, and an upper side of the carrier when insertedinto the slide-in level, is between 10 mm and 30 mm.
 25. The cookingappliance of claim 23, wherein a distance, viewed in the heightdirection, between the upper side of the cooking compartment divider,when inserted into the cooking compartment divider slide-in level, andan upper side of the carrier when inserted into the slide-in level, isbetween 19 mm and 24 mm.
 26. The cooking appliance of claim 16, furthercomprising a heating element arranged in a fixed manner in the uppercooking compartment region and embodied as a top-heat heating elementand/or grill heating element.
 27. The cooking appliance of claim 24,further comprising a heating element arranged in a fixed manner in theupper cooking compartment region and embodied as a top-heat heatingelement and/or grill heating element. wherein a distance, viewed in theheight direction, between the upper side of the carrier, when insertedinto the slide-in level of the upper cooking compartment region, and thetop-heat heating element and/or grill heating element in the uppercooking compartment region and/or an upper edge of a boundary flange,which delimits a loading opening of the cooking compartment, is between160 mm and 210 mm.
 28. The cooking appliance of claim 24, furthercomprising a heating element arranged in a fixed manner in the uppercooking compartment region and embodied as a top-heat heating elementand/or grill heating element. wherein a distance, viewed in the heightdirection, between the upper side of the carrier, when inserted into theslide-in level of the upper cooking compartment region, and the top-heatheating element and/or grill heating element in the upper cookingcompartment region and/or an upper edge of a boundary flange, whichdelimits a loading opening of the cooking compartment, is between 166 mmand 189 mm.
 29. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the lowercooking compartment region includes a heating element arranged in afixed manner as a bottom-heat heating element.
 30. The cooking applianceof claim 16, wherein the cooking compartment includes at least twoslide-in levels for support of carriers for food to be cooked,respectively. said at least two slide-in levels positioned at differentheights, said hot air system simultaneously supplying hot air to the atleast two slide-in levels when the cooking compartment divider isremoved from the cooking compartment.
 31. The cooking appliance of claim16, wherein the cooking compartment is divided by the cookingcompartment divider in such a way that in one of the upper and lowercooking compartment regions a first heating mode is being able to becarried out and in the other one of the upper and lower cookingcompartment regions simultaneously a second heating mode is being ableto be carried out and is different from the first heating mode, whereinthe first and second heating modes in the upper and lower cookingcompartment regions do not or substantially do not have any effect onone another.
 32. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the cookingcompartment divider includes a heating element having electricalconnection contacts which automatically make contact with electricalmating connection contacts of the cooking appliance when the cookingcompartment divider is inserted into an end position in the cookingcompartment.
 33. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the cookingcompartment divider includes a heating element, said cooking compartmentdivider including support feet which extend further downward in theheight direction than the heating element of the cooking compartmentdivider.